LGF reader ‘USA’ has posted the email form letter he received from Borders Books, about their decision to avoid offending their new overlords.

It reeks of a hurried consultation with a highly paid PR firm, who have decided on this approach as the best way to handle the storm in which they suddenly find themselves.

And it reeks of fear.

Thank you for your expression of concern about our decision not to carry the issue of Free Inquiry magazine featuring cartoons depicting Muhammad.

Borders is committed to our customers’ right to choose what to read and what to buy and to the First Amendment right of Free Inquiry to publish the cartoons. In this particular case, we decided not to stock this issue in our stores because we place a priority on the safety and security of our customers and our employees. We believe that carrying this issue presented a challenge to that priority.

We value your thoughts and sincerely appreciate that you invested your time to tell us how you feel about the issue. I can assure you that our management team gave careful deliberation to this decision and considered all sides of the issue before reaching this conclusion. As always, we are interested in customer feedback about our choices and while we know you do not agree with our position, we hope you can understand the challenge of balancing the needs of our customers, employees and our communities.

We appreciate the time you have taken to bring your concerns to our attention. If you should have any other questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Best,

Dan
Customer Resolution Specialist

UPDATE at 3/31/06 9:54:34 pm:

Other LGF readers have now reported receiving identical responses, only signed with the names “Kim” and “Scott.” Classy.